1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an edge cleaner for a vacuum cleaner and, more specifically, to an edge cleaner for a vacuum cleaner that is powered by a friction wheel that engages the wall surface adjacent the edge to be cleaned for sweeping dirt particles into the path of the suction nozzle for pickup and removal.
2. Summary of the Prior Art
Upright vacuum cleaners are well known in the art. Typically, these upright vacuum cleaners include a vacuum cleaner housing pivotally mounted to a vacuum cleaner foot. The foot is formed with a nozzle opening and may include an agitator mounted therein for loosening dirt and debris from a floor surface. A motor may be mounted to either the foot or the housing for producing suction at the nozzle opening. The suction at the nozzle opening picks up the loosened dirt and debris and produces a stream of dirt-laden air which is ducted to the vacuum cleaner housing.
It is known to provide vacuum cleaners with an edge cleaning capability. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,198,727 a vacuum cleaner is provided with holding devices on the sidewalls of its housing on which brushes can be mounted which enable baseboards in a room to be dusted while the vacuum cleaner is being moved about to clean the carpet.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,394,588 a nozzle head is provided for a vacuum cleaner employing a roller-shaped duster that can be rotated and removed in order to improve efficiency of duster-cleaning. The nozzle head comprises outer and inner casings spaced from each other, a duster supporting shaft detachably and rotatably mounted in the inner casing, a roller-shaped duster member inserted on the duster supporting shaft, a duster holding member which has means for holding the duster supporting shaft and is slidably mounted in the inner casing, means for locking the duster holding member which is fixed to the inner casing, and means for stopping the duster supporting shaft which is disposed between the duster holding member and the opposite ends of the duster supporting shaft.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,903,955 an upright vacuum cleaner is provided and includes an upper section with a handle 15 and a lower cleaning nozzle section 14, 14′ having a main suction opening 18 formed in the underside 16 thereof. A suction source M is provided and an edge cleaning tool 60 having a suction bore 64 formed therethrough is releasably connected to the cleaning nozzle section 14′. A suction hose 20 selectively connects one of the main suction opening 18 of the nozzle 14′ and the suction bore 64 of the edge cleaning tool 60 with the suction source M. First and second laterally spaced casters 30a, 30b extend from the underside 16 of the nozzle 14, 14′ and each caster 30a, 30b is pivotable respectively about a vertical axis D,E. First and second laterally spaced fixed wheels 32a, 32b, each rotatable about a single rolling axis C, are also provided and positioned forward of the first and second casters 30a, 30b. Each fixed wheel 32a,32b includes a rolling surface 40a, 40b and curved inner and outer transition surfaces 42a, 42b, 44a, 44b connecting its rolling surface 40a, 40b to the inner and outer sides 42a, 42b, 44a, 44b of the wheel 32a, 32b. 
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,421,874 a vacuum cleaner includes a housing having a handle pivotally mounted to a nozzle assembly. An agitator is received in an agitator cavity formed in the nozzle assembly. A suction fan and suction fan drive motor are carried on the housing. An edge cleaning brush is pivotally mounted to the nozzle assembly along a lateral edge of the nozzle assembly adjacent the agitator cavity. The brush includes a body having a series of apertures for receiving cleaning bristles and a pair of opposed mounting lugs. The edge cleaning brush is received in a recess with the mounting lugs held in a pair of opposed mounting openings in the nozzle assembly.
However, no patents were found in the prior art for an edge cleaning brush that is removable and has a powered agitator for sweeping debris into the path of the suction nozzle. The edge cleaning brushes of the prior art have an agitator that is fixed and only agitates when the structure it is affixed to moves relative to the surface being cleaned. These edge cleaning brushes have limited effectiveness because there is only a single cleaning stroke which is limited in one direction. The edge cleaner of the present invention has a rotary agitator which rotates relative to the structure or suction nozzle it is mounted on and provides numerous cleaning strokes not only in the direction of travel of the suction nozzle but in all directions as the agitator rotates. Therefore, the present invention fulfills a need not found in the prior art.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved edge cleaner for a floor care appliance.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved edge cleaner for a floor care appliance which includes a rotary agitator.
It is yet a further object of this invention to provide an improved edge cleaner for a floor care appliance which includes a rotary agitator that is powered by a traction wheel.
It is yet still a further object of this invention to provide an improved edge cleaner for a floor care appliance which is removable.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved edge cleaner for a floor care appliance which can be mounted on either side of the suction nozzle.
It is yet a further object of this invention to provide an improved edge cleaner for a floor care appliance which has a suction conduit formed therethrough fluidly connected to the interior of the suction nozzle.
It is yet still a further object of this invention to provide an improved floor care appliance which has one or more suction openings formed on the periphery of the suction nozzle proximate to a point of attachment of the edge cleaner.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved floor care appliance which has one or more suction openings containing an agitation elements(s) wherein the suction openings are formed on the periphery of the suction nozzle proximate to a point of attachment of the edge cleaner.
It is yet further an object of this invention to provide an improved floor care appliance which has one or more suction openings formed on the periphery of the suction nozzle proximate to a point of attachment of the edge cleaner wherein the suction opening has a gate which is opened when the edge cleaning brush is attached to the suction nozzle and closed when the edge cleaner is removed from the suction nozzle.